There are a million cat stories (unfortunately) in the big city and this is only one.
More than a month ago, a letter carrier whose route is near Paisley Blvd. and Shepard Ave. in Cooksville became concerned about a group of cats that were always around one house, where someone was feeding them.
She told fellow postie Tina Kendall about the problem, because she knew Tin volunteers with The Mississauga Humane Society. That is one of several local no-kill animal welfare groups that struggle through with little money and incredibly dedicated volunteers to try to deal with the abandoned and feral cat population.
Kendall went out to the house, where every stray in the neighbourhood came for free food, and found a litter of five kittens.
One of the cats was easy to catch. She had a deformed back leg, which stuck out at an awkward angle, and her rear end was covered with infections from where she had been hobbling around.
Kendall easily netted the female kitten, who was named Hobbles by the veterinarians at the Dixie Animal Hospital, where she was taken for treatment.
Her splayed leg was caused by a birth defect. After the infections were cleared up, X-rays were taken.
That's when it was discovered that that someone had shot Hobbles with a BB gun. One of the pellets had lodged in her spine, reducing her already limited mobility.
Yesterday, Hobbles underwent surgery to amputate her deformed leg and remove her tail.
"Most animals can walk a little on three legs and she's doing very well so far," says Kendall. She will be allowed out of her cage a lot more now as she continues her recovery.
It's not known whether it will be possible to put Hobbles up for adoption, since she has problems with both bladder and bowel control. "She pees a little bit every time you pick her up," says Kendall. Most people don't want to deal with those problems. "She still has accidents a lot.
"But we are not going to put her down. We will do whatever we can for her. It's a matter of time now and waiting to see how she recovers and how she can manoeuvre herself around."
While the group is hoping someone will adopt Hobbles, the kitten may never recover to the point where that is feasible. There are probably a lot of vet bills in her future.
And speaking of vet bills, the Humane Society is also always seeking donations to pay for those. Although some vets give them special rates, the cost of spaying, neutering the strays, who often are sick, is enormous.
At its web site, www.mississaugahumanesociety.com/, the charitable group has more than 100 perfectly healthy cats for adoption.
As for the sick puppy who would find sport in taking target practice at a kitten who can't even run away, what can you say?
Well, probably what fellow Mississauga Humane Society volunteer Cathi Persaud says: "Anyone who would that that has deeper problems, where it starts with animal cruelty. They obviously need help."